Brain Breaks for the Classroom: 15 Quick Movement and Calm-Down Breaks

A brain break is a few minutes of something different between stretches of sitting still: a dance, a stretch, a silly game, a slow breath. Teachers have used them for years because they work. A restless class settles, a sleepy class wakes up, and everyone gets back to learning.

This guide has fifteen brain breaks that need no equipment, for children aged about 3 to 8, at home or in class: some to burn energy, some to calm down. It's written by a dad who builds free tools for families and teachers, checked against what classroom studies found.

What the research says

Young children aren't built to sit still for long. The World Health Organization recommends that children aged one to four are active for at least three hours a day, and an average of an hour a day from age five.

Short movement breaks in class seem to help with focus, not just fitness. In one study, after 10-minute classroom activity breaks, children were 8% more on task, and the least focused children 20% more. A review of studies with more than 2,200 primary school pupils found that movement breaks in class helped children stay on task. Those studies were in primary schools (children about 5 to 12), but teachers of younger children use the same idea every day. A few minutes away from the lesson can give some of that time back.

When to use a brain break

• Before a quiet task, to get the wiggles out first.
• After a long sit, like carpet time or a test.
• When the energy in the room changes, too high or too low.
• Before lunch or home time, with a calm one, so the class leaves settled.

Two to five minutes is enough. End every movement break with something calm, so the energy goes out and the focus comes back.

Ten movement breaks

1. Freeze dance. Play a song; everyone dances and freezes when it stops.
2. Animal parade. Call an animal and move like it: hop like a frog, stomp like an elephant, balance like a flamingo.
3. Simon says. Movement and listening in one.
4. Follow the beat. Slow claps mean march on the spot, fast claps mean run on the spot, silence means stop.
5. Mirror me. Children copy your moves, then take turns to lead.
6. Count and jump. Ten star jumps, counting out loud; then nine; then eight.
7. The weather. Drizzle (tap fingers), rain (pat knees), thunder (stamp feet), sunshine (arms up high).
8. Shake it out. Shake each arm and leg eight times, then seven, down to one, counting together.
9. Statues. Move around the room; on "statue!", hold a shape. Call a theme: a tree, a rocket, a sleepy cat.
10. Spell it with your body. Make the letters of a short word with arms and legs. Good for reading time too.

Five calm-down breaks

1. Be a turtle. Tuck into your shell, take three slow breaths, come out when ready. Many preschools teach it, because every child can copy a turtle.
2. Balloon belly. Hands on tummies: breathe in and feel the balloon grow; breathe out slowly.
3. Smell the flower, blow the candle. In through the nose, out so gently the flame only flickers.
4. Squeeze and let go. Tight fists for three, then floppy hands. Then shoulders, then toes.
5. Listening minute. Close your eyes for one minute and count the sounds you can hear.

Our guide to calm-down activities explains why these work, and our guide to teaching toddlers about feelings shows how to give a class the words for big feelings.

Making them work in class

• Same signal every time. A song or a chime that means "brain break", and another that means "back to work".
• On the spot. Every break above works standing by a desk or on the carpet, with no running across the room.
• Everyone can join. Offer a seated version of each move, so every child can take part.
• Let children lead. Once a break is familiar, a child can call it.

Using a screen

A big screen can lead a break for you, which helps on the days you need to catch your breath too. Tiny Hands Move is a free way to do that: Momo the monkey shows each move and says it out loud, so children who can't read yet can follow along, and there is no camera. A classroom mode for a projector is on the way. Tiny Hands Feel does the same for calm-downs, with Lulu the turtle.

Both are free for every family and every school, with no ads, because we believe every child should get the same chances to move, focus and learn, wherever they live. Our page for teachers explains how Tiny Hands works in class.

Questions teachers ask

How long should a brain break be?

Two to five minutes usually does it. One of the studies above used ten-minute breaks; even a minute of shaking out can reset a restless group.

How often should we take brain breaks?

Younger children need them more often. Many teachers watch the room rather than the clock: when attention dips, it's time.

Do brain breaks waste learning time?

The research suggests the opposite: children tend to be more on task afterwards, so the minutes come back.